Improvement in the construction of prison walls



iron or of stone.

' iflldteil stittcs l Let-ters Pat-cnt N 104,865, dated Juno 2S, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PRISN WALLS.

The Sch'edni referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom yit may concern.-

Be it k'nown that I, EDwn.' MAY, of Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a. new and useful Construction of Inside XValls of Buildings und I do hereby Adechire the following to be a correct und suiioient description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing which mnk`es part of this specification, a'nd in which- .Figure 1 is a. scctionzd view of a. portion of a. woll, constructed according to my improvement.

Figure- 2 is a. similar view, showing aslight modification.

Figure 3 is n. perspective view of a. piece of iron luth, used in the construction of my improved woll.

Like letters of reference indicate like yparts in' the several figures.

My invention is designed for all insidewalls, portitions ofcelis,nnd ceilings of prisons, or strongroorns. or the insane. 4

The cells inprisons nre now commonly made of Iron cells :tre very nnhenlthy, ou ac.- eount of the dampness condensing on the ceilings and walls. Stone cells are very. costly, und can be made only to a certain size.

Myimproved construction obvintcs both ditliculties, :tud by it a. strong, healthy cell or strong room ot'nuy size can be built.

My invention consists' in constructing such walls of a. center of hard seasoned wood, ou euch side of which a. heavy coat of plnstering is held by my improved iron latins; or of :t center of iron plates, covered on each side with hard seasoned wood, of any desired thickness, and the wood covered by plaster.

In fig. 1, of the draining- A represents the wood, to euch side of which the loths B are secured by n ails C, the plestering 'D filling inthe spaces between the laths,andbeing held by the seme.

In iig. 2-

E represents their-ou plates, covered on euch side by the lmrd wood A, to' which the laths B are secured by nails C, and plustering applied to the outside, as before described.

'.Lhe la-t-h used being a1 non-absorbent, allows chemical action to take place, so as to change the plastering to nu artificial stone; and as the laths ure made in narrow strips, the heut, in case of fire, will not displace them, while their peculiar forni produces o donbld'fhv'all of iron, und keeps the plastering or moru tar where it will protect the wood.

A wall mede wit-hout the inside iron plate, as shown in fig. 1, will be found e safe, tire-proof wall.

The iron pla-tes, when used as shown in 2,'are

so housed in and protected by wood and plaster that no oxidation can take pince.

An inmate of sifch :L cell, trying to cut through such wall, will find it ditiicult to pick oli or deiacc the plnstering, and impossible to hide the traces of his work. Should he Succeed t0 get through the plaster, theiuths will forni a serions impediment; and should he even snceediu piercingr them, the hard seasoned wood would present new ditienlties; und when the iron plates are used, they will etfeetually stop all further progress.

The escape of prisoners is prevented by discovering their etiorts to escape.

saw-kerf made by the saw used; but any deircing et the walls constructed according to my improvement must inimedzitel y show.

The grec-t advantage of my improvement is the cheztpness f its constrnction,the perfect dryness of the walls, :md their being completely fireproof.

The iron plates and wood-covering muy be made of any suitable or desirable thickness.

Hoving thus described my invention, That I claim as new, and `desire to secure by Letiers Patent, is-' 1. An inside wal l, ibrn1ed of iron plates, hard sensoned wood, and plastering, the plastering being kept in place by lntlis, B, substantially as herein described.

2. An inside wall, formed ofzt core of herd seasoned wood, A, both snifnces of which ure completely covseparated from the wood by n nearly continuous surface of iron, substantially' as uml-for the purpose set forth. 'f

.l EDWIN MAY. Witnesses XVM. A. LOWE,

J .urns M. ToMLINsoX.

In cutting out of iron cells n, smell quant-ity of dust will eiiectunllyhle the-cut o r ered with ironk leths, B, so that the plnstcring I) is y 

